What used to be true
by gabicandotti
Summary: Jen's friend from NYC comes back and brings with her some of their past. My first fic. please be nice.
1. As good as it gets

Disclaimer: I wish I owned something, but I don't. Only Laura is mine  
  
What used to be true  
  
As good as it gets-  
  
  
  
  
  
"Oh my God!" Jen stood in front of the opened door, agape, and a smile sprung in her face.  
  
It was Friday, Jack and her were watching a movie.  
  
"Oh my God!" She said again, almost laughing  
  
"Hi Jen" A voice said. A brunette girl, standing in the front door held some luggage on her both hands. She was smiling too, and Jen and her seemed to know themselves for a long, long time.  
  
"Laura, hi!" Jen laughed hysterically.  
  
Jack looked at the front door, from the kitchen, and saw them hug, and laugh. The girl had Jen's age, apparently, and had her style too.  
  
"Come in" Jen said, still smiling, helping Laura bring her stuff inside.  
  
"Oh, my God, Jen, how you've changed!"  
  
"So have you!" Jen closed the door "What happened to your hair, you used to be blonde"  
  
"Well, I like it better this way."  
  
Jack rose from the kitchen's table eating some yogurt, and with a full mouth, he walked to the hallway. Jen looked at him and jumped to his side.  
  
"Oh, right how rude" She laughed "Laura this is Jack, Jack, this is Laura, we used to be best friends when I lived in New York"  
  
With his mouth still full, he said hi.  
  
"Is this your boyfriend?" Laura smiled to Jen, after saying hi to Jack  
  
"Oh, no! No, he's my friend" Jen laughed touching his shoulder.  
  
"Oh, okay. For a minute, there I said Wow!" The girls laughed, but Jack looked at Laura, weirdly. "Don't worry, hun, not because of you."  
  
Jack smiled, cynical, Jen noticed that, but Laura didn't.  
  
"Are you moving in?" Jack asked.  
  
"Oh, no. I'm spending the week, my father's thinking about buying an apartment around here."  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Didn't Jen tell you? I told her I was coming"  
  
"She didn't." He said cynically, again, looking at Jen.  
  
  
  
  
  
During dinner, that is, pizza in the living room, Jack got to know several stories about Jen and Laura when they lived in New York. They slouched on the couches and the floor. Jack's jealousy went away as he found out that Laura was a fun girl, and Jen liked her very much.  
  
" We used to rock New York, that's right." Laura said chewing her pizza. Jen nodded her head. "Don't you miss it, Jen? I mean, don't you miss what we used to have, how much fun we had-"  
  
"I'll be lying if I say I didn't. But that was first." She looked at Jack. "I found a lot of things I didn't have there."  
  
"Well, I bet you did. You really changed." She got up "So, what do you do here in Boston?"  
  
Jen and Jack looked at each other. Jack looked at his watch. It was still ten thirty.  
  
"Why not?" He said looking at Jen.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
They drank all night long. Jen couldn't remember the last time she drank that way. Or yes she could. It was in New York. Laura brought her the partying they had before she moved to Capeside. And she didn't remember how good it felt.  
  
At one point, Jack told her to slow down, but Laura laughed and said it was nothing compared to what the old Jen could do. Jen laughed too. They danced, they laughed, and they made out with total strangers. That was the old Jen taking back what was hers.  
  
"Jen, it's four thirty. Let's go home." Jack yelled, because they could only talk yelling. The music was too loud.  
  
"Why Jack?"  
  
"Jen!" He held her arm as she turned around "I understand you want to be the old Jen all over again, but don't overreact, okay?"  
  
Jen looked at him as if he had just offended her.  
  
"Jen, I'm not kidding. Look at Laura."  
  
Jen turned around not convinced, and she looked at Laura.  
  
She was completely drunk and totally out of her mind, dancing with a very big guy. He was hugging and kissing her.  
  
"Jack" She turned around to face Jack "What's wrong with that, she's only having fun-"  
  
But he turned her around again.  
  
Laura and the guy were walking away; she was grabbed on him, because she could barely walk. Jen watched the guy grab Laura's waist and laugh to his friends, as they laughed to him.  
  
"Okay" Jen sighed "Let's go get her and go away." She scratched her head.  
  
Jack and Jen got out of the place and outside; there were Laura and the guy. They were yelling at each other, because Will, the big guy, wanted Laura to get in the car, but she didn't want to.  
  
Jack started to run towards them, and Will grabbed Laura's arm, as she tried to go away.  
  
"Hey, HEY!" Jack yelled, and Will lifted his arm to slap Laura. Laura screamed loud, and Jack punched Will on the stomach.  
  
Jen stood next to Laura. They screamed again, when Will got up and hit Jack in the face.  
  
"Jack!" Jen screamed. Jack kept punching Will, and they fought for some time, Jack's nose was bleeding.  
  
"Stop that!" Will punched Jack's face and Jack punched his stomach once more. Will fell to the ground.  
  
Jen and Laura, agape, walked back a little bit.  
  
Jack walked forward, and pushed the girls.  
  
"Lets go home"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Okay, I have more written, but you need to ask. Or don't, I don't care, I'm gonna post anyway 


	2. I never ment to cause you trouble

What used to be true  
  
  
  
  
  
I never meant to cause you trouble-  
  
  
  
  
  
"Jack, I'm sorry" Laura, in her pj's stood at the door on Jack's room. It was the next night; Jen was asleep in her room, where Laura had a mattress on the floor. Jack was sitting on his bed, reading a comic book. He lifted his head, looked at her and lowered his head to the comic book again.  
  
"Okay" He said ignoring her.  
  
"Jack I- I really feel bad about what happened"  
  
"Okay" This time he didn't lift his yes.  
  
Laura sighed, and with her arms crossed, she walked in the room, and sat beside Jack.  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
He sighed too, and lowering the comic book, he moaned.  
  
"About what?"  
  
She looked at the floor while talking, her arms still crossed, her voice really low.  
  
"I didn't mean to- uh, I'm- I didn't want you to get hurt."  
  
He shook his head, laughing discontented.  
  
"Then why do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?" She looked at him. His green eyes scared her.  
  
"What you did yesterday. You drink until it gets to a point when you don't know what's happening anymore."  
  
"Jack, because that's fun!" She lowered her voice, remembering that Jen and grams were asleep. "Didn't you ever get really drunk and made out with strangers?"  
  
"That's your idea of fun, Laura? Then I assume you had fun yesterday."  
  
Laura gasped looking at him.  
  
"Yesterday got out of my control"  
  
"Laura, you know what, I don't care what you do. I don't care if you like to make out with strangers, I don't care if you want to sleep with them." Laura backed up offended. "I just don't want you to take Jen with you. She's not like that"  
  
"She used to be like that." She stared the floor again, still defending her point of view.  
  
"But she's not like that anymore!"  
  
For a minute there they made silence. Jack read his comic book again, and Laura sat staring the floor. It felt like a long minute to both of them.  
  
"You know I - I'm not like that, Jack." She said with her arms crossed. Jack lifted his head and he could see she had tears in her eyes. " I don't like to sleep with strangers"  
  
"I know, Laura, I didn't mean that" He said still holding the comic. She blinked and a tear rolled down her chick. She quickly rubbed it.  
  
"It just happens when, when I get out of control."  
  
Jack stood where he was. He didn't know her enough as to hug her or comfort her.  
  
"Then why do you get yourself out of control?" He asked not sure of what he was saying.  
  
She shook her head holding the tears by biting he lip.  
  
"To run away" She whispered to herself, and Jack didn't hear it.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm going to bed, Jack" She got up, not looking at him. "Good Night"  
  
"Good night" He answered wondrous.  
  
  
  
  
  
The next morning was less uncomfortable. Jen, Jack and Laura had breakfast with Grandma, and went out for a walk. That day, by the afternoon, Laura's father would arrive at the bus station.  
  
"Why is he coming by bus, Laura?" Jen wondered while they walked inside a pub.  
  
"He just got a new car." She moaned "He doesn't wanna use it for long distances yet" Jack laughed.  
  
"Anyway, we're staying at the hotel so if you wanna stop by to pay me a visit, feel free."  
  
"Wow! You're not staying at Gram's anymore?" Jack asked  
  
"Well, no, Jack. How would Mrs. Ryan feel if she had three guests in her house for a week?"  
  
"Oh, yeah." Jack laughed.  
  
  
  
  
  
That afternoon, Laura went with his father to the hotel, to take care of some papers. Jen and Jack walked around looking at the Boston Christmas Spirit. (Did I forget to tell it was December?) They sat in a pub to drink some chocolate.  
  
"You know, Laura came to me last night-" Jack said looking at Jen. Jen looked at him weirdly.  
  
"She did?"  
  
"Yeah. She said she was sorry about the other night." He said sipping his chocolate. Jen smiled.  
  
"There - See? She's not so bad."  
  
"No, not at all." He put his cup on the table "She's you, only, she didn't move to Capeside."  
  
The Jen Weird Look again.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said she's you. She's Jen, but she's - she hasn't changed." Jen looked blank. Jack sighed. "See, she's what you used to be Jen, she's reckless. You changed when you came to Capeside. She stood in New York, so he hasn't changed."  
  
"You think I'm reckless?" Jen asked.  
  
"No, Jen, I said you were - Oh, forget it!" Jen laughed  
  
"No! I get it, I get what you said" Jen sipped her chocolate. "You're right. We used to be the same. We have a long history. Part of it is nice, part of it, not so nice"  
  
Jack smiled.  
  
"I wonder if her father's changed" Jen said to herself.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well - that's-" Jen looked at him. Nah, it was Jack, she could trust him. "Her father used to get into a lot of trouble." Jen sipped her chocolate again.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, he was usually drunk, he had big fights with her mother" Jack looked at her weirdly. "I think - that's the reason why she prefers to party all the time."  
  
"To run away" Jack thought.  
  
  
  
Okay, I've got more written. Ask to if you want. The third echapter is the best one 


	3. Dinner Table

Okay, people, please be kind to me, English isn't my first language, I live in Brazil, my first language is Portuguese.  
  
  
  
  
  
What used to be true  
  
  
  
  
  
Dinner table-  
  
  
  
  
  
Mrs. Ryan opened the front door. There were Laura and her father Robert. Grams had invited them to dinner, with Jack and Jen. Laura kissed Mrs. Ryan's chicks.  
  
"Hello darling, come in" she smiled " Mr. Taylor, so nice to meet you."  
  
"It's nice meeting you too, Mrs. Ryan" Robert and Grams shook hands. He was a big man, taller than Jack, maybe. Not fat, in shape, he looked old, graying hair, with glasses.  
  
"Jennifer and Jack are upstairs, Laura, if you'd like to join them." Mrs. Ryan smiled closing the door.  
  
Laura smiled shameful, and looked at her father. He smiled with his hands in his pockets.  
  
"She's gonna stay with me, right honey?" Laura laughed, and nodded her head.  
  
"Oh, right, then I'd better call Jennifer, to join us all." She walked to the stairs and yelled their names.  
  
"We'll be right there, grams" Jen's voice could be heard.  
  
Robert had his arm around Laura's shoulders.  
  
"Jack would be Jennifer's - boyfriend?" He looked disgusted. Laura looked another way.  
  
"Oh, no, her friend" Grams smiled. "Dinner's almost ready.  
  
  
  
  
  
At the table, Mrs. Ryan talked to Robert about New York, Boston, and his work. Robert laughed and ate. Jack and Jen participated on the subject; Laura only smiled when her father talked about her. Constantly, he'd bring the subject about her college and rub her back, or slap her shoulder. Jack smiled to Laura, but she wouldn't smile back all the time.  
  
They were talking about Roberts's transference to Boston, when Mrs. Ryan asked Laura:  
  
"How do you like Boston so far, Laura?"  
  
She lifted her head, like if snapping out of her trance.  
  
"I - I love it"  
  
Jen noticed her father looking at her as if she'd say something wrong. His eyes were green and big.  
  
Mrs. Ryan laughed to Mr. Taylor, who smiled while she talked.  
  
"Jennifer took her out to have fun Friday night."  
  
Laura paled suddenly looking at her glass of water. Her father stopped moving and looked at her, this time as if she had already said something wrong, as if waiting for her to give an explanation. She wouldn't move. Jen was also tense and quiet, looking at Mr. Taylor and Laura. Jack looked at Jen, and he'd swear she knew what was going on. On the other hand, Jack and Mrs. Ryan looked blank.  
  
Jen, who was sitting in front of Laura, still looking at her, talked to her father.  
  
"We went bowling on Friday night."  
  
Laura took a deep breath, and lifted her head, but kept looking down.  
  
"Yes, we went bowling"  
  
Robert nodded her head, and looked at Mrs. Ryan smiling.  
  
"Well, bowling."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Okay" Jack asked when he entered Jen's room later that night. "What was all the tension about?"  
  
"What?" Jen sat in her bed, where she was laying.  
  
"That weird, uncomfortable silence during dinner." He sat down in front of her. "What was that about?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Jack."  
  
"Oh, come on, Jen. Bowling?" He dramatized "We went bowling?"  
  
"Oh, that" Jen laughed. "Well, her father wouldn't be so happy if he knew she went out to dance and party with us. It was her first day here!"  
  
"No." He said, " Wasn't because of that."  
  
"Jack, I told you her father's weird, he is kinda violent- " She talked low so that her grandmother wouldn't hear. "He just doesn't want her to get out of his control, that's all."  
  
"What about her mother?" Jack asked  
  
"She moved away" Jen lay down. "Two years before I went away"  
  
"How come?"  
  
"I told you, they had huge fights. " Jen said looking at the ceiling. "He'd come back drunk and yell at her. She gave up and went away"  
  
"Well, it was very loyal of her to leave Laura behind."  
  
Jen sighed and so did Jack.  
  
"Her father scares me. He always did"  
  
"Why" Jack looked at her again.  
  
Gazing the ceiling, Jen rubbed her hands.  
  
"This uh- one night when I lived in new York, we, Laura and I, we got home a little late, and-"  
  
"You mean the next morning" Jack interrupted  
  
Jen lifted her head looking disappointed at Jack.  
  
"Will you please, not interrupt?" She asked not smiling.  
  
"Okay, sorry" Jack lowered his head  
  
"And when we got to her house, he was drunk, and he yelled at us, like, I thought he was going to attack us. " Jack said nothing; just looked at her weirdly "He screamed, threw stuff, grabbed her arm and yelled me to go home."  
  
Jack looked at Jen waiting.  
  
"Like I said, he's too violent"  
  
  
  
  
  
The phone rang loudly and Laura answered it lying on the bed, reading something. It was past eleven and Laura had gone to bed. The hotel secretary told her she had a phone call from Jack and she accepted it.  
  
"Jack?" She chuckled  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"What do you want?" She said still chuckling.  
  
Jack, in the kitchen, in the dark, played with a coin.  
  
"Just wanted to check on you"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just uh - wanted to know - are you going out today?"  
  
Laura laughed  
  
"Jack, are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine. You?"  
  
"I'm all right," She said with a laughing face "I'm not going out today, are you?"  
  
"Nope"  
  
Silence  
  
"Oookay, Jack, gotta go to sleep now, all right?"  
  
"Yeah, okay"  
  
"Okay, bye"  
  
"Bye"  
  
They hung up  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
All right. I'm still thinking, please help me. 


End file.
